Tobacco feeding apparatus

Abstract

In apparatus for feeding tobacco to cigarette-making machines, the tobacco (9) is conveyed by suction from a feed receptacle (1). One end (14) of a duct (3) facing the receptacle above the level (19) of the tobacco is provided with a device (16) for regulating the rate of tobacco delivery in order to allow continuous feeding of the cigarette-making machine. The regulating device comprises a movable sleeve (17) slidable on the end portion (14) of the duct so that the bottom rim (18) of the sleeve is always at a required distance H from the level of the tobacco, this distance being continuously detected by a sensor (25), and the quantity of tobacco drawn into the duct to be adapted to the rate of production being a function of H. The other end (15) of the duct opens out into a tangential separator (12). The regulating device combined with the tangential separator makes it possible to reduce damage to the particles of tobacco.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for feeding tobacco to one or more manufacturing machines, particularly for manufacturing cigarettes, of the type having a feed receptacle for holding tobacco not free or residual dust, separator means for separating dust from the tobacco and for discharging the tobacco into said one or more machines, and a duct disposed between the receptacle and the separator means for conveying the tobacco and the dust by suction from the receptacle to the separator means, wherein the improvement comprises: regulating means disposed at the end of said duct nearest said receptacle for continually delivering tobacco at a feed rate that varies continuously between zero and a maximum feed rate as a function of the rate of production of said one or more machines.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said regulating means comprises a sleeve mounted on an end portion of said duct, sleeve-actuating means for sliding said sleeve reciprocatingly on said end portion for keeping the rim of said sleeve nearest said receptacle at a variable distance H from the level of tobacco in said receptacle, and detector means for continuously supplying a value corresponding to said distance H. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said sleeve-actuating means comprise a motor, a rack, and a pinion engaging said rack and driven by said motor. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said sleeve-actuating means comprise pneumatic elements. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising programmable control means for controlling said sleeve-actuating means. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said detector means is an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said detector means is an optical sensor. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said separator means is a tangential separator.